


Obsessions

by feentanz



Series: One Shots [35]
Category: Nikolai Series - Leigh Bardugo, The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: F/M, Jealousy, i dont have any tags, jealous!nik as usual, nikolai finds out that mal and zoya had a thing once
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:33:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22701034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feentanz/pseuds/feentanz
Summary: Zoya huffed. “Don’t tell me you don’t have any old lovers.” Nikolai’s jaw hardened at the word lovers, much like she had hoped. It was so easy to get him riled up. “Mine are not here in the palace,” he muttered. His hands moved along her waist, down her back, pulling her body closer against his own. Zoya obliged, resting her hands on Nikolai’s chest. “So what, you’re going to challenge him to a duel now?” Nikolai shot her a dark look in response, obviously not very amused. Instead, he returned his attention to her neck, kissing down the skin. “I know something much better,” he breathed, and Zoya instantly knew what he was thinking of.
Relationships: Nikolai Lantsov/Zoya Nazyalensky
Series: One Shots [35]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/594364
Kudos: 61





	Obsessions

There was a knock on the door and Nikolai turned his head to see Alina slipping inside, her hair tailored brightly red. She was wearing a blue  _ kefta  _ as part of her disguise, just so that no one would question her presence in the Little Palace. 

“I see you escaped Genya’s dress heaven,” Nikolai commented, raising a brow. Genya had been ordering fabric and dresses for weeks now, turning three entire rooms in the palace into her own workspace. 

Alina smiled uneasily, folding her arms in front of her chest. “She’s still busy with Zoya, so I managed to slip away for now.” 

Nikolai couldn’t resist asking. “Has she settled on a dress yet?”   
  
The wedding was in two days, and yet Zoya had so far rejected everything Genya had come up with. If she kept going like this, they were going to be forced to change the date. It was nagging at Nikolai’s nerves because he couldn’t quite shake off the feeling that perhaps Zoya was stalling. That she wanted the date to be moved. 

That she didn’t want a royal wedding at all. 

Alina’s voice interrupted the traitorous thoughts. “I think she’s close to finding one.” She sighed. “Genya has about a million options, so it takes a while.” She looked around herself, scanning the mess of clothes. “Did  _ you  _ settle on anything to wear?” 

Nikolai ran a hand through his hair. “I did. About ten times, but nothing seems quite right.” Perhaps he should just wait for Zoya to deice on a color and then choose something which would match. 

Alina looked strangely amused, sitting down in the only armchair which was not covered in clothes. “You’re a mess, both of you,” she commented. “How did you even manage to get together?” 

Most of that credit belonged to Genya, to be quite honest. Nikolai dropped the jacket he had been trying on. He wasn’t going to wear it, anyway. “It’s a long story.” 

Alina crossed her legs. “Your future queen said the same thing when I asked her.” 

_ Future queen.  _ He hadn’t quite wrapped his head around that fact yet. And still, he felt like he was just waiting for her to back out. It had been hard enough to convince Zoya to accept his proposal, and he knew that she wasn’t exactly fond of the whole institution of marriage either. 

Alina frowned at his worried expression. “What’s wrong?” she wanted to know. 

“She’s not going to back out, is she?” Even saying the words was scary. 

Alina huffed, brushing some hair away from her face. She had freckles now, and her skin was more tanned. The life on the farm suited her. She looked happy, content. “Of course she isn’t.” She grinned slightly. “Like Zoya Nazyalensky would ever refuse being crowned queen.” 

Nikolai exhaled, nodding. He felt a little more relaxed. “Where is Mal?” he wanted to know, just to change to a less worrisome topic. 

“He went somewhere with Tolya,” she shrugged. “He isn’t very fond of the little palace,” she admitted. “Still.”   
  
Nikolai could hardly blame him. 

“Besides, I think he’s a little scared of you,” Alina added, looking fairly amused. 

Nikolai frowned. Whatever had happened between Alina and him back then was long in the past, and he had assumed that Mal also knew that. “Because I proposed to you once?” Fair enough, that had been one of his poorly thought-out political schemes. And one which had failed spectacularly. 

Alina laughed. “No, because you’re  _ with  _ Zoya now.” 

“So?” 

She suddenly fell silent. “Oh.” Alina bit her lip. “I thought you knew.” Suddenly she looked uncomfortable. “I thought someone had told you.” 

Now he just  _ had  _ to know. “Told me about what?” Somehow, Nikolai had a feeling that he wouldn’t like that news at all. Something in Alina’s expression was worrisome. 

Alina actually blushed, her cheeks turning pink. She played with the sleeve of her  _ kefta.  _ “It’s not really important, actually.” 

Nikolai let out an exasperated breath. “Just tell me.” 

Alina was biting her bottom lip. “Mal and Zoya had a  _ thing  _ once.” She added a suggestive glance. “Before him and I... “ She trailed off. “Before I got to the Little Palace. It was a while ago.” 

Nikolai suddenly wished she hadn’t said anything. He felt himself tensing automatically, the unwelcome feeling of jealousy greeting him. Zoya hadn’t told him. Perhaps she hadn’t wanted him to know, or she had assumed he didn’t care. Which he shouldn’t. After all, it had been years ago. 

Alina’s gaze was thoughtful as she watched him. “You’re not really jealous, are you?” 

Nikolai clenched his jaw. The thought of Zoya with someone else didn’t exactly thrill him. In fact, it made him want to punch a hole into something. Perhaps the wall. 

“No,” he said, all the same, turning away and hiding his expression. 

Still, he didn’t miss Alina’s eye roll. “You’re impossible,” she muttered. 

“It doesn’t bother you?” He found that hard to believe. 

Alina hesitated, resting her chin on top of her knees. “It used to bother me,” she replied eventually. “I used to be  _ so  _ jealous of Zoya. She had everything I ever wanted. But I got over that.” She smiled. “It was a long time ago.” 

She was right, of course. And yet Nikolai failed to shake off the frustration. 

Zoya was standing in front of the mirror, staring at herself. This wasn’t something she usually experienced. Usually, she looked great in everything. 

And yet she couldn’t find the perfect dress. 

“I don’t like the stones on this,” she said in Genya’s direction, turning around to get a better look. But that didn’t make the dress look better. 

Genya was slouched on one of the sofas, surrounded by piles and piles of dresses. She was frowning, furrowing her brows. “They look exquisite!” she protested. She sounded as exhausted as Zoya felt. 

Zoya blew a strand of hair away from her face, shaking her head. “This one isn’t it.” 

Genya looked like she was about to have a mental breakdown. “This is dress number 105, Zoya.” She took a deep breath. “You always find  _ something  _ you don’t like.” 

Zoya folded her arms, looking around in the room stuffed with dresses. “You have at least 50 more.” 

Genya snorted in response, getting to her feet. She let out an exasperated breath, then moved behind Zoya and began to open the dress. “And you will find something you don’t like about those as well,” she replied. “Because it’s not really the dresses that are the problem.”

Zoya tensed, watching the fabric glide over her shoulders as she stepped out of the dress. “I just haven’t found one which is perfect.” This was her wedding, after all. She wouldn’t get another one of those. Besides, it was also her coronation. 

Genya gave her a disapproving glance when she saw Zoya reaching for her  _ kefta,  _ but she didn’t comment. Instead, she said back down on the sofa. “You’re stalling,” she noted. 

Zoya felt better when she was wrapped up in the familiar blue silk. She felt like herself again. “I’m not stalling,” she replied, keeping her voice distant. “I just want to make sure that the dress does me justice.” 

Genya narrowed her eyes. “Don’t insult my dresses. They’re all beautiful, you’re just being difficult!” 

Perhaps she was. But a royal wedding was not just any occasion. Zoya crossed her arms, avoiding Genya’s knowing gaze. “Where did Alina disappear to?” she asked instead, attempting to distract her. 

But Genya wasn’t having it. “Stop changing the topic.” She raised a brow. “You don’t want to marry Nikolai anymore?” 

Zoya cast her a dark look. “Of course I do.” Just not in front of the entire country. 

Genya was going to respond, but a knock on the door interrupted. 

“What is it?” Zoya asked, expecting one of the servants. Or perhaps Tamar, telling her that there was a problem with a student and giving Zoya an excuse to flee this room. 

Instead, Nikolai’s voice sounded through the door. “Are you wearing your wedding dress or can I come in?” 

Zoya rolled her eyes. “Come in.” 

He appeared in the doorframe, and she didn’t miss the unusual shadow to his expression, or the way his jaw was clenched. Something was bothering him. “Can I steal her away for a moment?”   
  
Genya snorted, waving her hand. “Take her, she doesn’t like my dresses anyway.” 

Zoya tried to look somehow apologetic as she left the room, following Nikolai out into the hallway. “Listen,” she began. “If this is about choosing a dress-” She didn’t get any further. 

His lips suddenly crashed against hers, with such force that Zoya would have fallen over if he hadn’t held onto her waist. Nikolai pushed her back against the stone wall, kissing her so urgently that she worried for a second. 

Zoya didn’t manage to catch her breath until his lips moved to her throat, leaving kisses against the side of her neck. “What happened?” she muttered. She had trouble speaking with his hands all over her. 

Nikolai kissed the spot right below her earlobe, his warm breath caressing her skin. “Alina told me something interesting.” 

Zoya frowned, those words only increasing her worry. “And?”

Nikolai’s lips nipped at the skin of her neck, probably leaving a visible bruise. Genya would be delighted. “I heard you let Mal Oretsev into your bed.”

Zoya froze. So this was  _ jealousy _ ? “That was years ago.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say. 

Nikolai lifted his head, keeping her pinned against the wall with his arms on either side of her. His eyes were darker than usual, and for a second she wondered if Mal needed to fear for his life now. 

Zoya leaned forward, so their lips were almost touching. “You’re really jealous right now?” She hadn’t told Nikolai because she had assumed it wasn’t important. Or maybe because she would rather forget that it had ever happened. 

His fingers grazed her chin, running along her jawline. Then he pressed her head back against the cold stone. “I don’t like the thought very much.” 

Zoya huffed. “Don’t tell me you don’t have any old lovers.” 

Nikolai’s jaw hardened at the word  _ lovers,  _ much like she had hoped. It was so easy to get him riled up. “Mine are not here in the palace,” he muttered. His hands moved along her waist, down her back, pulling her body closer against his own. 

Zoya obliged, resting her hands on Nikolai’s chest. “So what, you’re going to challenge him to a duel now?” 

Nikolai shot her a dark look in response, obviously not very amused. Instead, he returned his attention to her neck, kissing down the skin. “I know something much better,” he breathed, and Zoya instantly knew what he was thinking of. 

“We’re in the middle of the hallway,” she protested, but Nikolai had already moved, and it was hard to argue with his hands between her legs. 

His fingers were already running across the skin of her thighs, leaving her shivering under the touch. 

Zoya dug her nails into the skin of his shoulder as a warning. “Don’t you dare.” 

Nikolai was grinning, keeping her pinned in place against the wall. His touch went higher, brushing the silk of her  _ kefta  _ away. “Who cares? We are getting married in two days.”

She was about to protest again, but she didn’t get that far. Because they were no longer alone in the hallway. 

Zoya batted Nikolai’s hands away from her, just as she noticed Alina and - out of all people - Mal entering the corridor. 

Nikolai immediately tensed, his jaw hardening.  _ Not good.  _ Zoya made sure to keep one hand resting on his arm, casually forcing him to stay near her. 

Alina looked just as uneasy as Zoya felt, her cheeks slightly flushed as she managed a smile. “Did we interrupt?” There was no doubt that they had seen too much of what had just happened. 

On top of everything, Genya suddenly opened the door, a look of impatience on her face. “Don’t tell me you just had to leave to make out in the hallway.” She sighed. “We have a wedding dress to pick.” 

No one had an answer. Nikolai still looked like he was ready to attack Mal, and it was not hard to miss.

Genya was already frowning in confusion, obviously confused about the sudden tension. “What did I miss?” 

Zoya really didn’t want to explain. 

Gladly, Alina came to her aid. “Nothing,” she said smoothly, already reaching for Mal’s arm. “We were just on our way to meet Tolya and Tamar.” She basically dragged Mal out of the hallway, not looking back. Zoya had never been so thankful for her. 

Genya looked genuinely lost. “Are you finished with whatever you had to do?” she asked dryly, pursing her lips in obvious disapproval. 

Zoya rolled her eyes. “Sure.” 

Nikolai was still grinding his teeth, looking entirely frustrated. He seemed ready to run after Mal, with the way he was staring after him. 

“I’ll be inside in one minute,” Zoya promised Genya, receiving a sigh and a nod in response. When the door fell shut behind Genya, she turned back to Nikolai. “You’re overreacting.” 

Nikolai’s shoulders dropped, but he was nodding. “I know.” He placed a hand on the side of her face, cupping her cheek for a moment. A small smirk curled around his lips. “I just love you.” 

Zoya rolled her eyes. “You’re an idiot, Nikolai.” 

This time he laughed, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing the inside of her wrist. “At least I’m  _ your  _ idiot.” 

She was tempted to slap him. Instead, she got to her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips, before stepping back. “I have to go choose that wedding dress.” 

“Good luck,” Nikolai commented, at least looking like he had postponed his murder plans for now. “Don’t test poor Genya’s patience too much.”   
  
Zoya huffed. It might be too late for that. “I’ll try,” she said over her shoulder, opening the door and slipping back into the room. 

She was going to choose a wedding dress today. No more stalling. 

Ravka would have a new queen in two days. 


End file.
